A 80-year-old woman with a history of severe degenerative dementia, with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), COPD and hypertension, was admitted to our hospital (Geriatric Unit, University Hospital of Parma) for an acute change in her cognitive status, with stupor status. The clinical question was: "What is the cause of this rapid worsening of cognitive and mental condition in a demented patient?" A diagnosis of Non-Convulsive Status Epilecticus (NCSE), defined by behavioral or cognitive changes from a patient's baseline state of functioning, with seizure activity on EEG, should be considered when patients with severe dementia are admitted to hospital...

The systemic vascular response to seizures is known but information on the hemodynamics of the pulmonary circulation is lacking, clouding an understanding of the pathophysiology of postical pulmonary edema. We investigated this problem using electrically induced single seizures and bicuculline-induced status epilecticus in halothane-anesthetized sheep. Aortic, pulmonary arterial, and left atrial pressures were recorded throughout the seizure activity, and the responses of the systemic and pulmonary pressures were compared...

Over a period of nine months 14 adult patients with status epilecticus were treated with intravenous loading dose of phenobarbital-sodium. The initial dose was 9 to 12 mg/kg of body weight; it was increased to 36 mg/kg when seizures were stopped. The rate of infusion was 100 mg/min. In 11 of 14 patients (79%) this treatment was effective. The dose ranged from 9 to 14 mg/kg in ten patients and 36 mg/kg in the remaining one. Seizures stopped during the first minute of infusion in nine patients. This treatment was unsuccessful in 3 patients...